1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of gate valves and more particularly to a device that is employed in conjunction with recreational vehicles and the like to enhance and improve the operation and effectiveness of the actuator used to control the movement of the gate inside the valve opening to regulate and control waste disposal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gate valves have a variety of applications, including their use in conjunction with recreational vehicle holding tanks that contain solid and liquid waste materials. Manual or electrically operated gate valves include a valve body in which a gate is actuated by a wire cable connected to a valve stem extending from the gate. The cable is generally attached to a handle, which can be manipulated manually or electrically forwards or backwards (or up or down) to move the gate in and out of the valve opening. In situations where the holding tank is mounted under the body of the vehicle and the valve employs a handle actuated cable with a short throw, it is relatively easy to operate the gate valve to open and close it. The unfortunate drawback requires the person to get low to the ground beneath the vehicle, possibly even on one's hands and knees or back, to maneuver in close enough to the handle to properly operate the valve.
Placing a high value on convenience in these situations, valves of the sort being discussed here are now more likely to be operated from a remote location, usually mounted somewhere on the exterior surface of the vehicle on a control panel together, for example, with the water and electrical connections. The drawback, however, regards the problem in employing a cable to effectively remotely operate the valve when the cable and handle are not substantially in some sort of linear alignment with the valve stem and valve gate. What usually results, in this instance, is the difficulty in smoothly and efficiently communicating a physical force to the cable to enable it to immediately and effectively open and close the valve. Under less than ideal circumstances, the cable can become stuck simply because it lacks the necessary axial forces required to push and pull the gate sufficiently to open and close it. Because the portion of the cable nearest to the valve stem typically has no substantial support or rigidity, the cable section located between the stem and the handle also tends to become slack and weakened and, thus, ineffective as a closure device. Usually, this results in a disruption of the axial forces that would otherwise be produced through the cable and communicated immediately to the gate upon activation at the handle end.
Still, even the operation of the cable actuator from a remote location has its drawbacks. The use of a cable apparatus invites problems that are not likely to arise in the absence of the use of a cable component. For example, exposed cable beneath the vehicle is at risk of some degree of physical damage if struck by a hard object, like a loose rock caroming off the road surface while the vehicle is in motion. Another possibility arises when someone or something unwittingly grabs or engages the cable and yanks or pulls it from position, disengaging it from the gate valve or impeding its effectiveness. These things can and do happen given the opportunity.
The improvement of the present invention provides the means to reliably and electronically operate a cable actuated gate valve from a remote location by ensuring the application of a constant force axially generated through the cable body to cause the gate to open and close efficiently. This is achieved by a remote electrical connection between the gate valve itself and an actuator control conveniently located near or adjacent to an accessible area in or on the vehicle. Rather than operating the valve gate manually from a remote location, the valve is operated electronically to ensure that the mechanical operation is constrained close to the valve itself. Thus, there are no exposed mechanical cables or wires that are likely to interfere with the operation.
Still, in the event something should go wrong with the electrical actuator, a device is provided that serves a dual purpose. The first is to secure the handle used to operate the plunger in place to ensure communication with the electrically activated device that provides the handle and, thus the plunger, with vertical movement. The second is to provide for the release of the connection between that device and the handle to allow the handle to be operated manually in case the electrical components should fail for some reason.